Author: space4knews

April 17, Kathmandu – The hearing on the writ petition challenging the legitimacy of the Nepali Congress concluded today. The case was heard by Supreme Court Justices Sharanga Suvedi and Nripadhwaj Niraula, with proceedings having begun on Thursday. On Friday, lawyers from both the petitioner and respondent sides presented their arguments. Following the reply arguments, Nepali Congress Vice President Bishwoprakash Sharma delivered the final submission on behalf of the respondents. With the conclusion of the hearing, a decision is expected imminently.

In the last week of Poush (mid-January), a special general convention held at Bhrikutimandap, Kathmandu, dissolved the executive committee led by Sher Bahadur Deuba, which had been elected at the 14th general convention. A new executive committee under the leadership of Gagan Thapa was elected during this special convention. The Election Commission recognized the legitimacy of the committee selected at this convention. Subsequently, Deuba and then acting chairperson of the previous executive committee, Purn Bahadur Khadka, challenged the Election Commission’s decision by petitioning the Supreme Court.

Following the Supreme Court’s official recognition of the Nepali Congress led by Gagan Kumar, Vice-Chairperson Bishwprakash Sharma expressed his commitment to advancing with renewed energy. On social media, he declared, “We will move forward with renewed energy,” emphasizing his resolve to unite all senior leaders in this effort.

Sharma outlined plans to strengthen the transformed Congress while ensuring the victory and welfare of all. He aims to embark on a journey of new possibilities for the party. Dated 4th Baisakh, Kathmandu, he stated, “We will move forward with renewed energy. I will bring along all respected senior leaders as we advance.”

Accompanying a photo of him garlanding Gagan Thapa during his chairmanship, Sharma wrote, “We will advance by guaranteeing everyone’s victory and welfare. We will make the changed Congress even stronger and proceed on a journey of new opportunities.”

In a tweet, he added, “We will move forward with renewed energy! I will bring along all respected senior leaders! Ensuring everyone’s victory and welfare, we will move forward! We will strengthen the transformed Congress and step into a journey of new possibilities! Jai Nepal!”

April 17, Kathmandu – A fugitive who had been sentenced to 25 years in prison has been apprehended. The arrested individual is 42-year-old Yagyakumar Sapkota, also known as Santosh, from Makwanpur. He was caught by a team from the Kathmandu Valley Crime Investigation Office.

Sapkota was found guilty in the case of murdering 32-year-old Santoshi Shrestha by hitting her with a hammer in Balkhu on March 15, 2021. The Kathmandu District Court sentenced him to life imprisonment, equivalent to 25 years in prison, on September 14, 2021.

While serving his sentence, he escaped from Sundhara Jail during the people’s movement on September 9, 2021. Sapkota was apprehended in Harisiddhi, Lalitpur, and has been sent back to Sundhara Jail to continue his imprisonment.

April 17, Kathmandu – The Federal Parliament consists of a total of 16 parliamentary committees. Among these, six committees are chaired by women. The Federal Parliament is divided into two houses. The National Assembly has four parliamentary committees, with two chaired by women and two by men. Pooja Chaudhary chairs the Public Policy and Assigned Legislation Committee, while Jayanti Devi Rai leads the Committee on Federalism Empowerment and National Concerns. Krishna Prasad Paudel chairs the Development, Economic Affairs, and Good Governance Committee, and Krishna Bahadur Rokaya heads the Legislative Management Committee.

The House of Representatives has ten parliamentary committees. Additionally, two joint committees have been formed with members from both houses. The last assembly of these committees was held on Monday. Among the 12 committee chairs elected on Friday, four are women. Review Baskota was elected chair of the Law, Justice, and Human Rights Committee; Aakriti Awasthi leads the Women and Social Affairs Committee; Sumnima Udas heads the International Relations and Tourism Committee; and Ojaswi Sherchan chairs the Education, Health, and Information Technology Committee. The remaining committees are led by men. Hari Dhakal chairs the State Structure and Governance Committee; Ashokkumar Chaudhary leads the Agriculture, Cooperatives, and Natural Resources Committee; Ashish Gajurel heads the Infrastructure Development Committee; Bodharayan Shrestha leads the Parliamentary Hearing Committee; Rahbar Ansari chairs the Industry, Commerce, Labour, and Consumer Rights Committee; and Krishna Hari Budhathoki leads the Finance Committee. Bharat Khadka chairs the Public Accounts Committee, and Ganesh Karki was elected head of the Committee for Monitoring and Evaluation of Principles, Policies, and Implementation Responsibilities of the State.

Gujarat Titans triumphed over Kolkata Knight Riders by 5 wickets in an IPL cricket match, securing their third victory. Chasing a target of 181 runs set by Kolkata, Gujarat reached the total with just 2 balls remaining, losing 5 wickets in the process. Captain Shubman Gill delivered an outstanding performance, scoring the highest 86 runs off 50 balls, including 8 fours and 4 sixes. Alongside him, Jos Buttler contributed 25 runs and Sai Sudharsan added 23 runs.

Kolkata’s Varun Chakravarthy took 2 wickets, while Vaibhav Arora, Sunil Narine, and Ramandeep Singh claimed 1 wicket each. After winning the toss, Kolkata elected to bat first but were bowled out for 180 runs in 20 overs. Cameron Green top-scored for Kolkata with 79 runs, followed by Rovman Powell with 27 runs and Tim Seifert adding 19. Kagiso Rabada took 3 wickets for Gujarat, while Mohammed Siraj and Ashok Sharma secured 2 wickets each. Prasidh Krishna and Rashid Khan also chipped in with 1 wicket apiece. With this victory, Gujarat amassed 6 points from 6 matches, climbing to 4th place, whereas Kolkata remains winless with 1 point from 6 matches, positioned 10th on the table.

The Supreme Court has granted bail to Chief Minister Balen Shah in a contempt of court case, acknowledging his official duties. Shah had requested bail, citing his role as Prime Minister that prevents him from appearing personally in court. Earlier, bail was denied due to comments related to the court’s role made on social media. Kathmandu, 18 April.

The Supreme Court issued an order allowing bail in the contempt case against Balen Shah, considering his official responsibilities and role. Shah had filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking bail. The bench, comprising Justices Hari Phuyal and Shanti Singh Thapa, acknowledged Shah’s consistent attendance at court and accepted the necessity of his present official duties, thus granting bail.

“On 10 July 2023, this court ordered the presence of the accused. Accordingly, Balen Shah has been continuously appearing before the court as scheduled,” the Supreme Court stated in its order. “Taking into account Balen Shah’s current role and responsibilities, bail has been permitted as per the petition.” Shah requested bail asserting that personally appearing in the case as Prime Minister would affect the principle of separation, control, and balance of powers.

The dispute arose when Mayor Shah of Kathmandu Metropolitan City halted the screening of an Indian film containing controversial content related to Nepal. In response, Patan High Court issued an interim order. On 22 June 2023, after public comments on social media supporting the court’s role, Barsha Kumari Jha filed a petition demanding contempt proceedings against Mayor Shah. After submitting a written response, Mayor Shah requested arrangements to appear in court via bail. Previously, bail was denied due to concerns that social media expressions had caused public confusion.

April 17, Kathmandu – The Supreme Court on Friday night legally resolved the ongoing internal leadership transition dispute within the Nepali Congress that has lasted for eight months. The court validated the leadership elected during the special convention led by Gagan Thapa, offering a legal solution to the party’s conflict. This recognition officially acknowledges the risks taken by leaders like Gagan Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma in pushing for leadership change.

Following widespread criticism of Sher Bahadur Deuba’s leadership after the Jenji movement, then General Secretary Gagan Thapa, Bishwaprakash Sharma, and other leaders initiated a rebellion within the party demanding leadership change. Although they called for a special convention, the existing leadership at the time rejected the proposal. Subsequently, voices from 40 percent of convention delegates demanded the special convention be held, but the establishment faction attempted to delay it, facing strong opposition from Gagan Thapa and Bishwaprakash Sharma.

At Bhrikuti Mandap, with 54 percent delegate presence, a decision was made to change the party leadership and amend policies, a move also deemed valid by the Election Commission. However, leaders including then Acting Chairperson Purna Bahadur Khadka contested the commission’s decision in the Supreme Court. Notably, leaders from the Deuba faction also took part in the elections held on Falgun 21 under the leadership elected from the special convention. The Supreme Court has now provided clarity on the legal questions raised in the dispute.

By validating the actions of leaders like Gagan Thapa who challenged the established leadership structure, the court confirmed that the internal dissent within the party was constitutionally justified. The Supreme Court granted official recognition to Thapa’s Congress based on four key points:

• First: The expiry of the old committee’s term was not only technical but also meant the leadership’s legitimacy had ended. Once the leadership’s legitimate period ends, all decisions made automatically come into question, strengthening the justification for a special convention.
• Second: The court firmly held that failing to hold regular conventions reflects leadership’s incapacity or lack of will. In a democratic party, failure to timely transfer leadership not only indicates poor management but also undermines democratic values. Therefore, demand for a special convention may be necessary.
• Third: The legal objections raised by the Deuba faction were deemed weak by the court, highlighting that per the party statute, any demand for a special convention must be obligatorily fulfilled.
• Fourth: The most decisive factor was the court’s acceptance that the leadership elected through the special convention had already gained popular approval by participating in elections, underscoring the democratic principle that the final authority rests with the people.

This order settles the Congress dispute and sets a new legal precedent for the future. Initially, leaders from the Deuba faction reacted strongly to the court ruling. Leader Bimlendra Nidhi declared his continued rejection of the special convention, stating, “Even while respecting the Supreme Court’s decision, I will never accept the special convention.”

Similarly, Prakash Sharan Mahat criticized the ruling as unexpected and unnatural, expressing concern about the party’s direction. He said, “There is doubt about how Congress will move forward. The country is in a challenging situation and so is the Congress; therefore, it is essential to bring everyone together and progress collectively.”

With the court order granting legal recognition to Gagan Thapa’s leadership, the responsibility to resolve party issues now falls squarely on his shoulders. The question remains what path the Deuba faction will take—whether they will accept the verdict and cooperate with the new leadership or start another phase of political resistance. Uncertainty prevails, but rejecting the decision could risk dividing the party. However, Deuba faction leaders believe in the Congress’s democratic and rule-of-law values, raising the possibility of avoiding a split.

Gagan Thapa faces the challenge of managing the party, rebuilding trust, transforming division into unity, and strengthening the party’s connection with the public. Although rising from revolt to leadership is an achievement, the Congress suffered significant setbacks in the last election, making the prevention of any division a primary responsibility.

Vice-Chair Bishwaprakash Sharma has pledged to unite everyone moving forward. General Secretaries Gururaj Ghimire and Pradeep Paudel have also emphasized adopting a path of unity following the court’s decision. Gururaj Ghimire remarked, “The Supreme Court’s decision is just and reflects the outcome of the struggle by Congress members for rule of law and procedure in the country. This is neither anyone’s victory nor defeat.”

Since the leadership elected by the special convention currently holds interim status, the main responsibility ahead is to conduct the 15th general convention, scheduled for October. All eyes will be on how Gagan and Bishwaprakash manage to bring the party together in unity.

The news summary is prepared with editorial review. Gururaj Ghimire, General Secretary of the Nepali Congress, stated that the Supreme Court’s decision is neither a defeat nor a victory for anyone. The Supreme Court has granted official recognition to the Nepali Congress elected through the special general convention led by Gagan Thapa. Ghimire emphasized that all Congress leaders and workers must now unite and focus on the 15th general convention. Kathmandu, 4 Baisakh – Gururaj Ghimire expressed that the Supreme Court’s ruling does not signify any loss or win for individuals. He made these remarks following the Supreme Court bench of Justices Sharang Suvedi and Nripdhwaj Niraula’s decision to legitimize the Congress elected through the special convention under Gagan Thapa’s leadership. Ghimire himself was elected General Secretary through that special convention led by Thapa.

He described the Supreme Court’s ruling as the successful result of an unwavering struggle for legality and procedure. “The Supreme Court’s order on the writ petition regarding the Nepali Congress’s official status is just. It is a positive outcome of the members’ persistent fight for law and process in the country,” he said. “This verdict honors the dignity and contributions of everyone involved. It is neither a win nor a loss for any individual.”

Ghimire called on all Congress leaders and workers to come together in unity and focus enthusiastically on holding the 15th general convention. “Now, we must unite with all comrades of the Nepali Congress and concentrate on successfully conducting the party’s 15th general convention with zeal and harmony,” he added. “We should forget all past disputes, strengthen the internal unity of the Nepali Congress, and move forward.”

Kathmandu, April 17 – The Supreme Court on Friday night endorsed the Election Commission’s decision to recognize the special general convention of the Nepali Congress. This ruling ensures the continuation of the official status of the group led by Gagan Thapa. The court presented four key grounds for legitimizing the party’s special general convention.

First, the term of the previous central committee had expired before the special convention. The party had extended this tenure until the end of Magh (mid-February), citing exceptional circumstances, but even this extended period elapsed. The Supreme Court considered the expiration of the central committee’s term as a primary basis for validating the special general convention.

Second, the then-existing central committee of the Nepali Congress was unable to hold a new, regular general convention. After failing to convene the scheduled convention within the stipulated time, Gagan Thapa’s faction demanded a special general convention instead. The Supreme Court regarded the inability to hold a regular convention and the subsequent adoption of a special convention as both legally and party statute compliant.

Third, the Deuba faction of the Nepali Congress had challenged the special convention. Krishna Prasad Paudel, the Chief Secretary responsible for administrative affairs at the party’s central office, filed a complaint with the Election Commission opposing the special general convention. However, the Election Commission regarded the complaint from the administrative official as an internal party dispute rather than an official matter, thereby dismissing it as a valid objection. The Supreme Court upheld the commission’s decision.

Fourth, following the special general convention, the committee led by Gagan Thapa received official recognition within the Nepali Congress. The party, under Thapa’s leadership, participated in the elections. The Supreme Court dismissed the writ petition filed by the Deuba faction on the grounds that the committee’s candidacy and activities under Thapa’s leadership had been validated through the electoral process.

April 17, Biratnagar – Shiv Sada, 19, from Sindhuli, who was admitted to Birat Diagnosis Hospital and Trauma Center due to financial difficulties, has been discharged after his treatment expenses were paid by Arun Kumar Chaudhary, chairman of CG Holdings under the CG Group. Following the publication of news highlighting his family’s financial hardship, Chaudhary contributed funds to cover the medical costs.

Shiv Sada from Pokhre, Dudhauli Municipality-7, Sindhuli, had ingested poison on March 10. He was initially taken to Katari and then to Koshi Hospital in Biratnagar by his mother Maghiya Sada and wife Kritika for treatment. When treatment was not possible at Koshi Hospital, he was admitted to Birat Diagnosis Hospital on March 11. He was treated in the ICU due to his critical condition. During treatment, the total hospital and medicine bills amounted to NPR 139,186, including NPR 62,600 for hospital charges and NPR 76,586 for medicines.

However, due to the family’s poverty, they managed to pay only NPR 15,000 by borrowing money. Unable to cover the remaining NPR 124,186, Shiv’s mother, Maghiya Sada, set out on foot towards Sindhuli from Biratnagar in search of funds, leaving Shiv and his 14-year-old wife Kritika stranded at the hospital. The situation gained public attention on Matatirtha Aunsi when a report emerged that a mother and son had even pledged a mobile phone for treatment expenses while the son remained abandoned. This prompted Arun Kumar Chaudhary to express his willingness to provide immediate assistance.

On Friday, through coordination, Chaudhary paid NPR 100,000 towards the hospital bills. Following this contribution, the hospital granted a discount of NPR 24,186. Ajay Yadav, the hospital director, stated that understanding the family’s precarious financial condition, the hospital also extended support. “Their economic status was weak; after Arun Chaudhary paid the amount, we also provided a concession,” he explained.

According to Yadav, Shiv was admitted to the ICU and treated given his critical condition. “When treatment began, the patient was informed about the procedures and fees, and he was aware,” Yadav said. “At discharge, payment was requested, and he had promised to bring the money home, but did not return.” Shiv was discharged without even taxi fare to return home, so Director Yadav provided him with NPR 2,000 for travel expenses. At discharge, Shiv and Kritika expressed their gratitude to Arun Chaudhary for his help. “I made a mistake I shouldn’t have, but I will change now,” said Shiv, leaving the hospital with a smile. “I won’t repeat this mistake; I will work hard and earn.”